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Ninth Meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD ABS 9)

22-28 March 2010 | Santiago de Cali, Colombia

Summary of the Meeting

Statue of Sebastián de Belalcázar, founder of Santiago de Cali

The meeting continued negotiations on an international regime on ABS, for the first time on the basis of a draft protocol, tabled as a Co-Chair's text and developed upon a request made during the Co-Chairs Informal Inter-regional Consultation held prior to ABS 9. Delegates identified a series of key issues with respect to the draft protocol text and established four contact groups to address them. Following three days of productive contact group discussions and significant progress achieved on a number of issues, including benefit-sharing from derivatives and an internationally recognized certificate of compliance, an inter-regional group was established. Due to procedural wrangling, the inter-regional group did not manage to enter into text-based negotiations. The Working Group eventually agreed to: suspend ABS9 and convene a resumed session in the near future; and forward the draft protocol text as revised during the session to the resumed session, with the understanding that the draft was not negotiated, is without prejudice to the rights of parties to make further amendments and additions to the text, and should be read together with the ABS 9 report reflecting parties’ views expressed at the meeting. ABS 9 is expect to be resumed in June/July 2010.

Highlights for Sunday, 28 March 2010

On Sunday morning, Working Group Co-Chair Casas noted that the revised draft protocol (UNEP/CBD/WG-ABS/9/L.2) would constitute the basis for further work, but as indicated by a footnote, was not negotiated and is without prejudice to the rights of parties to make further amendments and additions to the text. The Working Group adopted the draft protocol as Annex I to the meeting report. Delegates then presented outstanding issues and text proposals, for inclusion in the report. In the afternoon, plenary discussed proposals for an intersessional process from Cali to COP 10 in Nagoya. Delegates finally agreed to suspend ABS 9 and resume it in June/July for a 7-day session which Japan committed to funding. Later, delegates made minor revisions to the report (UNEP/CBD/WG-ABS/9/L.1) and adopted it as amended. Following closing statements, Co-Chair Hodges gavelled the meeting to a close at 7:57 p.m.

Working Group Co-Chair Tim Hodges (Canada) suspended the meeting at 7:57 pm.

Working Group Co-Chairs Tim Hodges (Canada) and Fernando Casas (Colombia) celebrating the end of the meeting.

Delegates settling in for the final day of negotiations.

Staff of the CBD Secretariat.

Highlights for Saturday, 27 March 2010

Following the break-down of negotiations over compliance mechanisms on Friday night, a meeting of the G-77/China, regional consultations, meetings with the Working Group Co-Chairs and a Bureau meeting took place in the morning. The inter-regional group met in the afternoon. In the evening, leaders of regional groups met in camera to discuss the way forward.

The inter-regional group met throughout the day and evening to address a revised draft protocol (UNEP/CBD/WG-ABS/9/CRP.1 and Corr.1), in particular provisions on fair and equitable benefit-sharing (article 4), access to genetic resources (article 5) and compliance (articles 12-14). Late in the evening, negotiations broke down over compliance mechanisms, with GRULAC and Like-minded Asia-Pacific threatening to walk out. Following consultations, Africa proposed to report back to the Working Group Co-Chairs and request they provide a revised draft protocol, and asked that parties seek instructions to start negotiations immediately. The meeting was adjourned to Saturday morning.

Contact group 3 on benefit-sharing and access, and contact group 4 on traditional knowledge met in the morning. Contact group 1 on scope and finance and contact group 2 on compliance met in the afternoon. An afternoon plenary reviewed progress and established an inter-regional group to negotiate a revised draft protocol, composed of five representatives per UN region and two representatives each from indigenous and local communities, civil society, business and public research, and open to the attendance of all Working Group participants. Contact group 5 on the draft COP decision met in the evening.

Delegates from the African Group in consultations during the contact group.

Delegates from GRULAC discussing the text.

Highlights for Wednesday, 24 March 2010

Contact groups 1 on scope and finance, and 2 on compliance met throughout the day and in the evening. Contact group 1 focused on the draft protocol's relationship with other international agreements, while contact group 2 discussed issues related to the certificate of compliance, disclosure requirements and checkpoints. A brief mid-day plenary reviewed progress and established a fifth group to review the draft COP decision prepared by the Working Group Co-Chairs, which met at lunchtime.

Delegates to the Ninth Meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-Ended Working Group on Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) met in a morning plenary to agree on the process forward and establish four contact groups on specific issues. Contact group 3 on derivatives, benefit-sharing and access, and contact group 4 on traditional knowledge met in the morning and afternoon. Contact group 1 on issues related to scope and finance, and contact group 2 on compliance-related issues met in the evening.

Delegates to the ninth meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing (ABS) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) met in plenary throughout the day. In the morning, all regional groups expressed their willingness to work on the basis of a draft protocol text tabled by the Co-Chairs. In the afternoon, delegates presented specific issues of concern in the text. A celebration of the International Year of Biodiversity was hosted by the government of Colombia in the evening.

Download the ENB daily report for Monday, 22 March 2010, in English (in HTML or PDF format), Spanish (in HTML or PDF format), or French (in HTML or PDF format). Visit the web coverage for Monday, 22 March 2010.Download also our Curtain Raiser in English (in HTML or PDF format) or French (in HTML or PDF format).

Working Group Co-Chair Timothy Hodges (Canada) opened the meeting and expressed his gratitude to the host government of Colombia.

Yadir Salazar Mejía, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Colombia, stressed the need for cooperation in monitoring and enforcing compliance with national access legislation.

Working Group Co-Chair Fernando Casas (Colombia) recalled the intersessional work completed since ABS 8, noting that Parties have never been so close to reaching consensus.

Jochen Flasbarth, on behalf of the German COP Presidency, called on delegates to focus on key issues and show flexibility in reaching agreement.